VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Navy will forgo a traditional, pier-side sendoff for the USS Gerald R. Ford due to severe weather forecast for Hampton Roads.
The Ford is slated embark on its first deployment Monday from Naval Station Norfolk. But the sendoff will not include a crowd of friends and loved ones lining the pier to wish roughly 4,000 sailors fair winds and following seas.
“Due to weather and safety, the ship has not planned to invite family or the public to see them off tomorrow,” said Lara Bollinger, public affairs officer for the U.S. 2nd Fleet.
Instead, Bollinger said, sailors were to report to the Ford Sunday night to ensure all crew members were on board before the weather deteriorates. Conditions may affect the warship’s scheduled underway time, a press release from the 2nd Fleet later said.
Gusty winds left 45,000 Hampton Roads residents without power Friday as vestiges from Hurricane Ian battered the region. There was a break in the clouds Saturday, but a second surge of winds is expected to reach the area Sunday.
National Weather Service Wakefield predicted 45-50 mph gusts along the coast late Sunday, persisting into Monday.
The Ford will operate in the Atlantic Ocean as the lead ship of a strike group bearing the carrier’s name. The group, made up of 9,000 or so personnel, will focus training on air defense, anti-subsurface warfare, distributed maritime operations, mine countermeasures, and amphibious operations.
The Ford is the Navy’s newest — and largest — aircraft carrier, and the first of a new generation. The USS John F. Kennedy is expected to join the Ford’s class in 2024.
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